The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-26
A PROMISED SCANDAL.
Alleged CrOokedness in the Sur
veys of Public Lands.

G. F. Conrad, special agent of the
Interior Department, is at present in
this city, looking UP certain alleged
Irregularities connected with the land
Office surveys made by John Benson.
Mr.. Conrad was seen at the Palace
Hotel by a reporter last night and
shown one of the Calls special Wash
ington dispatches, wherein it was al
legged that the Nevada bank had claim
for IS 900 pending before Commissioner
Sparks in. the General Land Office for
surveys made by him OF public lands in
| this State, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
Mr.. Conrad first evaded the questions
put to him, explaining that he could
make no statement in advance to his
report to the commissioner, which
would be ready before long. When he
was informed that the bank officials
| denied having claim for that amount
before the commissioner, he inquired
| how much they acknowledged having,
| and was told about $4,000 or $50 900
which had been advanced to Mr.. Ben
SON..
oh, WE'LL" said he, 'if that is all
| they can easily stand that"
When asked what he meant by that
remark, he replied: ''Becaus il won't
| be paid"
| After considerable hesitancy, Mr..
| Conrad acknowledged that great frauds
had been perpetrated in the surveys of
| public lands, and gread deal of money
had been obtained for wol K that never
had been done. Within less than
twelve years Benson had received $685.
| iS9 "a from the government, when the
work actually done did not entitle him
to 10 per cent. of that amount. When
asked how the scheme had been
operated, he declined to state, saving
tnat the modus operandi would soon be
nublic property. 1t only could have
been done. he said. by the cornivance of
those high in authority, and others
having large sums of money at their
command. In short, huge fraod had
been nursed by ring of large denomi-
| nations, and trSt-cIaSS scandal would
be fur ished when the returns were all
| in; such scandal as had not shocked
the public ear for long time. After
some further questioning, MIR. Conrad
said that as samples of the transactions,
he would give as instances three con-
| tracts which were let to S. a. Hanson,
a Drother-in-law of Benson The
estimated cost of one was 81 900 but
| Hans n made S37, 1924 out OF it.
Another was estimated to cost So, 600
but on this he got SIG, 4S7 So, and on the
third, which was estimated at IS 900, he
received $19,51550 The Nevada bank,
he said, was not the only concern which
had an interest in these certificates, as
plenty of them had found market
elsewhere.
But" said the reporter, 1.-THE bank
people claim that all the certificates
they made advances on were signed by
the Surveyor General of the State or
Territory where the work was done, and
also endorsed by the other officials
whose duty it was to certify that the
holder was entitled to receive his money
for work actually performed"
"Oh, well, them replied the special
| agent, 'n that is the case there will be
no trouble about getting their money.
There is no delay about the payment of
any claim that is correct: il is only the
crooked ones that won't be paid"
II hen you believe there are some
crooked ones afoat, do you?' queried
the reporter.
Believe it, l know it." said the
special agent. land when you know the
number it will surprise you"
when will your report be ready for
transmission to Washington
In very short time, and when it
comes, it will be very unpleasant read
| ing to good many folks in this State
and elsewhere, but who they are am
not at present prepared to state re-
piled Mr.. Conrad, as he took his de-
I ps rtpre.-San Francisco Call.